Welcome Back, My Friends!

It has quickly become a ritual for Sara and I to take our birthday months “off.” Sara’s birthday is in April (fiery Aries) and my birthday is in May (stubborn-ass, earthy Taurus). We forgo stashing everything in savings, adding things to our wishlists, and putting off certain adventures and allow ourselves to each have a whole month (which usually smooshes together a bit into two months) of fun and prizes. Chunks of books were checked off the giant wishlists, altar supplies were researched and purchased, places were explored. Mind you, taking “two months off” does not include the one full time job, two part-time jobs, two side jobs, and Candlesmoke activities at all, so…you know, it was still a working vacation.

Now that we find ourselves in June we are ready to climb up from under the wagon and get the horses back in gear. Saving will most definitely continue as we have sharpened our sights to better attain a house and some land for ourselves. Being able to start actively talking to the bank and checking out properties sometime around October is one of our shared Ultimate Dreams! (Achievement Unlocked) We have a ways to go, don;t get me wrong, but the tip of the dream is starting to get dusted off and polished up.

Birthday Fun-Time also allowed us to place an immense essential oil order that had been building up for quite some time. This lead to the final process of perfecting a few blends that we have been tinkering with, as well as being able to start many more of the ideas we have been furiously modifying on paper. We are still dedicated to producing only oils made with actual plant ingredients, (true essential oils, no fragrance oils) so some of the oils have been a bit pricey…but is it ever fun to get to work with some of these. Now to put in that new bottle order!

I was able to finally locate (this was so much fun…and SO much harder than I thought) the Santisima Muerte statue for my Skinny Lady altar. The reason I was being so specific and stubborn to get “The Perfect One” is due to the dreams I have been having wherein she has been “visiting” me. A quick payment made to a fine fellow in Mexico City was able to procure a quite inspiring manifestation of my dream vision. More to come on that subject, trust me.

I am sure, as time permits, there will be more book reviews. They are never heavy-duty, in-depth reviews, but it is still a (even small) way for me to recommend and write about some of the subjects and ideas I have been reading about/practicing. For the hell of it, because I know I will be asked, here is a partial list of the books I received for my birthday:

the lot of new books to come out of the Lucky Mojo stable, including The Art of Hoodoo Candle Magic by catherine yronwode and Mikhail Strabo, Hoodoo Honey and Sugar Spells (which I was pretty tickled to see my name in actual print) by Deacon Millet, The Black Folder edited by catherine yronwode, and The Gospel of Satan by Troll Towelhead.

There were a few others, but not worth mentioning here. Some are copies of books I have had as digital downloads and now am grateful to have a hard copy. Needless to say I have my summer reading set and the towering stack is an ever reminder to keep reading, dammit!

My readings have been going very well and teaching me EXACTLY what I was hoping to get out of the experience. The good and the (few and far between) bad. Setting an affordable price for my time and services has allowed me to learn the ins and outs of reading for people I do not know and it has been both an eye-opening, and fantastic, experience.

June, July, and August (and then leading into my most favorite of seasons) are always more active months for us as a whole. I know I have said on many occasions, “Expect more blog posts” but this time I really mean it when I say, “Expect more blogposts!”

It is time to put some tea and soup on, so I must bid you farewell. The thunder and lightning continue to delight us and the current rain storm has finally cooled things…if only a bit. As usual you can find me over at Facebook (but jusssst barely), having lively brain-bursts and discussion on Twitter, and moderating the masses over at the Lucky Mojo Curio Company message forums. To those of you with promises of emails, trust me, not a day goes by that I am not churning the wheel inside my head. Sooner than later is my mantra at this time.

I wish you all the best of luck in all of your works and lives, and the best wishes I have to send. See you all real soon.